KBO cancels 10 games after fans in Incheon suffer heat-related illnesses

Korea’s baseball league canceled two full days of games for the first time after heat-related emergencies at a Landers-Twins matchup on Tuesday, with plans to review safety protocols this week.

Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, sits empty on Aug. 4 after the KBO canceled games in Seoul and Gwangju because of an extreme heat warning. YONHAP

The KBO canceled all 10 games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday due to extreme heat, Korea's professional baseball league said, marking the first time in its history that an entire day's slate has been called off because of the weather. The cancellations came after multiple fans suffered heat-related medical emergencies during a game in Incheon.

The canceled games include the Doosan Bears-NC Dinos matchup in Songpa District, southern Seoul, SSG Landers-LG Twins in Incheon, Samsung Lions-Hanwha Eagles in Daegu, Kia Tigers-KT Wiz in Gwangju and Lotte Giants-Kiwoom Heroes in Busan. The total number of postponed games this season has climbed to 40, of which 15 have now been called off specifically due to heat.

The KBO said it will hold an emergency steering committee meeting Thursday with general managers from all 10 clubs and representatives from the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association to reconsider its overall heat-related operating policies and safety measures from scratch. Until then, no first- or second-division games will take place for two days.

The league had announced detailed, tiered rules for handling extreme heat on Tuesday. Under those rules, games proceed as normal under a heat wave advisory, the lowest of the government's three-tiered heat warning system. Under the second tier, the home team can request a start-time delay of up to an hour. However, if the Korea Meteorological Administration issues its highest-tier heat advisory, games are to be canceled before 1 p.m., with player and fan safety as the top priority. The Doosan-NC game in Songpa District and the Kia-KT game in Gwangju were the first to be canceled under that new rule on Tuesday.

The SSG-LG game at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the same day was allowed to proceed. But near the end of the game, a fan in his 20s collapsed, showing symptoms of heat-related illness, and had to be carried out on a stretcher in an emergency response. Another man in his 20s reportedly collapsed after the game, suffering from both an underlying condition and heat illness, and received emergency treatment. In response, the KBO decided to comprehensively overhaul its heat policy. 

BY BAE YOUNG-EUN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]